Chair base



Feb. 22, 1944. T, H. ALFREDS 0mm BASE Filed Au 10, 1942 Patented Feb.22, 1944 CHAIR BASE Torris H. Posture Research Cor corporation ofIndiana Application August 10, 1942, Serial No. 454,255

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in chair bases and it consists ofthe matters herein after described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

The base with which the invention is more especially concerned is of thekind used in office chairs and which includes four legs, disposednon-radially with respect to center of the base and with the inner endportions of the legs grouped in encircling relation about the center ofthe base and each operatively secured to at least two of the other ofthe legs.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction for the connection between the inner end portions of thelegs, which though simple and inexpensive to produce, results in astrong and rigid chair base.

Another object of. the invention is to provide an improved constructionfor the connection between the inner end portions of the legs and inwhich each of the bolts for the spindle bearing plates are made toperform the added function of securing each two adjacent legs together.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others,together with the advantages thereof, will more fully appear as thespecification proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a chair base embodying the preferred formof the invention.

Fig, 2 is a side elevation of the base.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a part of the base, on an enlargedscale, as taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of one of the legs of the base.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention asillustrated in the drawing, the same includes a plurality of verticallyedgewise disposed counterpart legs ilk-Ill each made of wood and each ofwhich includes inner or hub end portion II and an outer or caster endportion I2. A shown in Fig. 1, there are four of such legs and the innerend portions IIII"of all of said legs are grouped in nonradial,encircling relation about the center of the base to there leave arectangular space or chamber I3, see Fig. 1.

In this instance the inner end portion of each leg has flat sides andprojecting from the top margin thereof is a tenon I4 having hrlzontallength approximating the thickness of the leg. This tenon, as shown inFig. 4 may approximate in vertical height about one-half Alfreds, ParkRidge, 111., assignor to poration, Elkhart, Ind., a

that of the portion II of the leg, thus leaving a bottom margin cornerrecess I 5 with vertical and horizontal surfaces I6 and I Irespectively, the surface I! forming the bottom edge of the tenon I4. Insaid top margin of the leg and spaced from the tenon, toward the casterend of the leg, is a mortice recess I8 having a width approximating thethickness or width of the leg and of a depth approximating the verticalheight of the tenon l4. Below this recess the inner end portion II ofthe leg has a part I9 which has a vertical height approximating that ofthe recess I5. Centrally in the tenon I 4 and in the part I9 of the legbelow the mortice-recess I 8 are bolt openings 20 and 2I respectively,all as best appears in Fig. 4.

In the assembly of the legs, the tenon 24 of one leg is engaged in themortice recess I8 of another leg with the bottom edge I! of the tenon ofthe first leg engaging the bottom edge of the recess I8 in said anotherleg, and with the edge l6 of the recess I5 of the first leg engagedflatwise against one face of that part I9 below the recess I8 in saidother leg. In this position the inner end portions I I of the legs aregrouped in encircling relation and are disposed nonradially with respectto the center of the base, as best shown in Fig. 1, and the bolt holes20 in the tenons I4 register with the holes 2I in the parts I9 of saidlegs. With this arrangement, the tenon of each leg is disposed on oneside of the center of the base and mortice recess is disposed on theother side of said center and the inner end portions of all of the legscoact to produce a square hollow hub 22 for the base, which encloses thehollow space I 3 before referred to.

At the top and bottom of the hub are square, stiff metal plates 23 and24 respectively, each having an area approximating that of the hub 22.Each plate has a center hole 25 adapted to receive the seat supportingspindle or post (not shown) of the chair. In each corner of said platesare holes 26 (see Fig. 3) which register with the aligned bolt holes 20and 2|. Bolts 21 are inserted through said holes preferably from the topof the hub so that their threaded bottom ends may receive nuts 28. Whenthe nuts are drawn up tight on the bolts, the legs are rigidly securedtogether in the proper base forming relation.

It is apparent from the above that each leg I0 is secured by the bolts21 to two other legs of the group, against displacement or separation inboth vertical and horizontal directions. Thus a strong and rigidlight-weight base is provided for the chair, which cannot rack or warpout of shape and in which looseness and resultant.

cept as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A chair base embodying therein a plurality of counterpart legs, eachincluding a substantially horizontal inner end portion and an outer endportion, the inner end portion of each leg having a tenon projectinghorizontally from and having a vertical height less than that of saidinner end portion and defining a part of a recess vertically in linetherewith, the inner end portion of each leg also having a recesstherein that opens laterally therethrough and is disposed in thehorizontal plane and has the vertical depth of and is spaced inwardlyfrom said tenon, there being a bridge vertically in-line with the lastmentioned recess and which bridge is disposed in the horizontal planeand has the vertical depth of the first mentioned part recess, the saidlegs being arranged with their inner ends in a grouped relation to forma hollow hub for the base, with the tenon and bridge of each legengaging in the recess and part recess of two adjacent legs and with thetenon of such leg supportingly engaged with the bridge of another leg,and means passing vertically through each set of engaged tenons andbridges.

2. A chair base embodying therein a plurality of counterpart legs, eachincludin a substantially horizontal inner end portion and an outer endportion, the inner end portion of each leg having a tenon projectinghorizontally from and having a vertical height less than that of saidinner end portion and defining a part of a recess vertically in linetherewith, the inner end portion of each leg also having a recesstherein that opens laterally therethrough and is disposed in thehorizontal plane and has the vertical depth of and is spaced inwardlyfrom said tenon, there being a bridge vertically in line with the lastmentioned recess and which bridge is dis- 'tenon's and bridges of all ofsaid legs, and fastening means passing through each set of engagedtenons and bridges of all of said legs and operatively engaged with saidplate members.

3. As an article of manufacture, a leg for a chair base including asubstantially horizontal inner end portion and an outer end portion, atenon projecting horizontally from and having a vertical height lessthan that of said inner end portion and forming a part of a recessvertically in line therewith, there being a recess laterally throughsaid inner end portion which is spaced longitudinally from and isdisposed in the same horizontal plane as and coextensiv with said tenon.

4. As an article of manufacture, a leg for a chair base having asubstantially horizontal inner end portion and an outer end portion, theinner end portion having upper and lower margins, a tenon projectin fromthe upper margin of said inner end portion and forming a part of arecess in said lower margin, there being a recess laterally through saidupper margin of said inner end portion which is spaced longitudinallfrom and is disposed in the same horizontal plane and is coextensivewith said tenon, a part of th lower margin below said recess beingcoextensive laterally with the first mentioned part recess.

TORRIS H. ALFREDS.

